In the late Seventies, the Rev. Dr. Andrew Willis and the late Rev. Dr. Randolf L. Jones began exploring the possibility of finding a seminary home for their work with African American Pastors and their hopes to establish a program of study that focused on, and supported, the needs of the African American Church community in Philadelphia. After meeting with a number of disappointing responses, they brought their proposal to The Lutheran Theological Seminary at Philadelphia and, as Dr. Jones was fond of recounting, “While others said no, Lutheran said ‘YES’!” And the rest, as they say, is history. As with all great histories, this one...

If you’ve read just about anything I’ve written over the last few years, you will know that I’m keenly interested in how the church responds to the challenges and opportunities presented by living in the digital age. What do I mean by “digital age”? Well, various authors and thinkers define it in slightly different ways, but suffice it to say that it’s a world where we receive and increasingly share most of our information – which of course includes our thoughts and beliefs about meaning and identity – via digital platforms. All of which is why I’m so excited to invite you to hear a...

Beginning tomorrow, Lent is once again upon us. As in year’s past, I’ll jump ahead to where we currently are in our devotional journey through John’s Gospel – the monumental John 3:16, no less! – to John’s story of the Passion of our Lord. (We’ll return to finish the rest of John after working through the passion story in Lent and resurrection accounts at Easter.) I have long suspected that preachers should treat the Gospels the way parents regard their children – no favorites! But while I’ve managed that with ease with my kids, I confess I haven’t done as well with the Gospels. And, truth be told, John is probably my...

Today, as you’ve no doubt heard, is “Giving Tuesday,” the day recently invented and named to compete with “Black Friday,” and “Cyber Monday” and that seeks to invite us to turn for a few moments from seeking bargains to make a difference through our charitable giving. Which means that by the time you read this post you’ve likely already received several worthy requests today. (And, if you’re on the LTSP mailing list, you’ve received on from me today on behalf of our students! And if you feel left out, you can read about that here. 🙂 ) But as this is Giving Tuesday, I’d like also to give you something. A chance to...